Canopy.



R. K. HOOK.

CANOPY.

APrLIoA'Hon FILED JAN. 9, 1909.

Patented 009191909.

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Rv. K. HOOK.

GANQPY. APPLICATION FILED JAN. 9, 1909.

Patented Oct. 19, 1909.

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ROBERT KERR HOOK, OF ATLANTA, GEORGIA.

CANOPY.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 19, 1909.

Application led January 9, 1909. Serial No. 471,476.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ROBERT KERK HOOK, a citizen of the United States, residing at Atlanta, in the county of Fulton and State of Georgia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Canopies, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

My invention relates to improvements in canopies especially designed for ready attachment to beds, or for use over cots, cradles or sleeping devices of any description.

One object of the invention is to provide a device of this character which when not in use may be compactly folded and conveniently carried in a trunk or traveling case, or with camping outfit, and which may be quickly and easily set up for use and applied to a bed, cot or sleeping device of any description.

Another object of the invention is to provide the net covering of the canopy with means at its bottom whereby it will be held down upon the floor or bed clothing of a bed, cot or the like to prevent the entrance of mosquitoes, flies and other. insects into the canopy.

A further object of the invention is to improve and simplify the construction of devices of this character and thereby render the same less expensive and more convenient and durable in use.

With the above and other objectsin view, the invention consists of the novel construction and combination of parts hereinafter described and claimed, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a perspective view of the canopy, showing it applied to a bed; Fig. 2 is a sectional perspective view through the canopy, and Fig. 3 is a detail sectional view through one of the upper corners of the canopy.

In the drawings l denotes my improved canopy which is especially designed for ready attachment to a bedstead, as lshown in Fig. or for use over a cot or other sleeping device. This canopy may be made'in any shape and of any material, but I preferably make it of rectangular form and of what is known on the market as bob-net material. It has a substantial square top 2 from which depends a surrounding side wall 3 and which is reinforced by strips l of fabric or other suitable material. Four of the strips are arranged to form a square and are connected at their ends and said ends are also connected by diagonal strips 5 which cross each other' at the center of the net. The strips 4 are preferably of angular shape in cross section so that they engage both the top and sides of the net or canopy and thus effectively strengthen and reinforce the same. The diagonal or bracing strips 5 and the side strips 4l, it will be seen, form a substantial reinforcing v-frame for the top of the net and enable the supporting devices, hereinafter described, to be effectively attached to the same.

The supporting devices for the canopy consist of four elastic cords or similar connections 6, 7, 8, 9 which are connected to tabs or loops 92L upon the four corners of the top of the canopy and also to the corner posts or other portions of the bedstead. The

connections 6, 7, S, 9 may be composed entirely of rubber or elastic cord, but I preferably make each one with an inner part 10 of elastic material and an outer part 11 of flexible non-elastic material. The devices 9a, as more clearly shown in Fig. 3, are in the form of loops formed by folding a strap or piece of fabric upon itself and attaching its ends to the united ends of the reinforcing strips 4, l5. The two-connections 8, 9 at the front of the canopy have the free ends of their elastic portions l0 tied in the loops 9LL and the free ends of their portions ll tied to the foot posts of the bedstead. Said portions ll may be attached to any other part of the bed, if convenient. The connections 6, 7 at the rear of the canopy are double, that is, each has two branches, one of which is attached to the upper part of the head of the bedstead and the other to the lower part of the same, as clearly shown in Fig. l. Each of said connections 6, 7 is composed of a central elastic portion and end portions of nonelastic material which latter portions are tied to the head posts of the bed or to other portions of the same, as will be readily understood. The central elastic portions of said connections 6, 7 are passed through the loops 9a at the rear corners of the canopy and are tied into one or more knots as clearly shown in Fig. 2, so that each member of said connections is partially elastic. By providing connections of this character it will be seen that by adjusting the front connections 8, 9

and the two members of the branches of the rear connections 6, 7 the canopy lmay be raised and lowered vertically or adjusted laterally or inclined either longitudinally or transversely of the bed, as may be found necessary or convenient. It will also be noted that the elasticity of said connections permits the canopy to yield shoulda restless sleeper roll upon one of the sides 3 and pull the same downwardly.

In order to prevent mosquitoes, flies and other insects from getting under the bottom edges of the surrounding side walls or portions 3 of the canopy, I preferably provide said bottom edges with two rutiies or dou` blings 12, 13 and an interposed hem 14, the latter containing` a fiexible weight 15 preferably in the form of a chain. This construction, it will be seen, provides a greater fullness of material at the bottom of the canopy, which fullness tends to prevent the entrance of insects beneath the same but the latter is el'ectively accomplished by the chain or flexible weight 15 which, owing to its uninterrupted continuation around the entire bottom edge of the canopy, causes every point of said bottom edge to rest upon or contact with the irregular surface of a bed or any other surface over which the canopy is used. The chain weight is preferably arranged in loops within the hem and attached to the upper portion of the latter at intervals, as shown more clearly in F ig. 2 of the drawings. By arranging the chain in the hem 14k in loops, as just stated, its length is greater than the length of the bottom edges of the canopy so that it will effectively bear down every part of the bottom of the canopy into direct contact with an irregular surface of a bed or other support, thus effectively preventing the entrance of mosquitoes, flies or the like beneath the bottom of the canopy. This looped arrangement of the chain in the hem is also advantageous in that it prevents the chain from bunching or collecting in one portion of the hem when the canopy is folded. It

will be further noted that the use of the chain as a weight enables the canopy to'be readily folded into a compact bundle without the necessity of removing the weight from the hem and that the inclosure of the chain in the hem causes the latter to keep the chain from direct contact with the bed clothing and also the person. The use of the metal chain or any equivalent flexible weight composed of loosely jointed elements or sections, gives the entire bottom edge of the canopy suiiicient weight to pull every portion of it down into contact with the bed or other surface.

From the foregoing it will be seen that I have provided a canopy which, while it may be used in the home for attachment to a bedstead of any description, is especially well adapted for the use of traveling men who can readily carry it about with them and attach it to a bed when needed. While I may use a rigid supporting frame within the canopy if desired, it will be seen that the omission of such a frame enables the device to be more compactly folded and conveniently packed in a trunk or the like. It will be further noted that owing to the peculiar manner in which it is supported it may be readily adjusted upon a bed of any form and construction.

lhile the invention has been shown in the drawings and described as especially adapted for use in connection with a bedstead, it will be understood that it may be employed over a cot, an improvised bed placed upon the floor or ground, or over sleeping devices of any description. lhen in use over a cot or other bed which has no head and foot boards or corner posts, the supporting cords may be attached to any nearby supports as will be readily under- 35 stood.

Then the invention is used with a camp ing outfit sticks may be driven into the ground at the four corners of the cot or bed used: for sleeping purposes and the cords attached to such sticks or posts.

Having thus described the invention what is claimed is:

1. A canopy of the character described comprising a body having a top and a depending side wall, and iexible supportingr and attaching connections upon the front and rear portions of said top, said connections at the rear having upper and lower branches fixed to the body at one end and adapted to be secured to upper and lower portions of a support to adjustably mount the canopy thereon, substantially as set forth.

2. A canopy of the character described comprising a body having a top and a depending silde wall, elastic supporting and attaching connections attached to the front port-ion of the top, and elastic supporting and attaching connections connected to the rear portion of the top, the last mentioned connections having upwardly and downwardly extending branches connected to the body and adapted to be secured to upper and lower portions of a support to adjustably mount the canopy thereon, substantially as set forth.

3. A canopy of the character described comprising a body having a top and a depending side wall, flexible reinforcing strips arranged on the sides of the top, crossed flexible bracing strips arranged upon the top and connected to the side strips, loops arranged at the corners of the top and connected to said strips andy elastic supporting and attaching connections engaged with said loops, substantially as set forth.

4t. A canopy of the character described comprising a body having a top and a depending side wall, loops at the corners of the top, elastic supporting and attaching cords passed through the loops at the rear of the top and tied thereto at their center to provide upper and lower branches adapted to be secured to upper and lower portions of a support to adjustably mount the canopy and means connected to the front portion of the top to support the same.

5. A canopy having a top and a continuous surrounding side wall, a hem extending continuously around the bottom of the side wall, and a iexible weight arranged in and extending continuously through said hem around the bottom of the canopy, said weight consisting of a plurality of weight sections or links loosely engaged with each other, whereby every portion of the bottom of the canopy will be weighted down upon an irregular surface over which the canopy is used, to prevent the entrance of insects beneath the bottom of the canopy.

6. A canopy having a top and a continuous surrounding side wall, a hem extending continuously around the bottom of said side wall and a metal chain arranged in and extending continuously through said hem around the bottom of the canopy, said chain being attached to the upper portion of the hem at intervals so as to hang in loops when the canopy is elevated, the looped arrangement of the chain rendering the length of the latter greater than the length of the bottom edge of the canopy, whereby said chain will act as a flexible weight and bear down every portion of the bottom ofthel canopy upon an irregular surface to prevent the entrance of insects beneath the bottom of the canopy.

7. A canopy having a continuous, surrounding side wall, a hem extending continuously around the bottom of said wall, a continuous rutile extending around the bottom of said wall on each side of said hem to create a fullness at the bottom of the canopy, and a metal chain in said hem and extending continuously around the bottom of the canopy, said chain serving as a flexible weight to weight down every portion of the bottom of the canopy upon an irregular surface over which the canopy is used, and thereby prevent the entrance of insects beneath the bottom of the canopy.

8. A canopy having a continuous, surrounding side wall, a hem extending continuously around the bottom of said wall, av continuous ruflie extending around the bottom of said wall on each side of said hem to create a fullness at the bottom of the canopy, and a flexible chain weight extending continuously through the hem and attached to the upper portion of the hem at intervals so that the chain weight hangs in loops when the canopy is elevated, the looped arrangement of the chain rendering the length of the latter greater than the length of the bottom edges of the canopy whereby when the canopy is used over an irregular surface the chain weight will cause every point of its bottom edge to contact with such irregular surface and effectively prevent the entrance of insects beneath the canopy, substantially as and for the purposes specified.

In testimony whereof I hereunto affix my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

ROBERT KERR HOOK.

Witnesses:

CARL KING, JOHN F. WYNNE. 

